TKZN, Zululand Municipal District municipality, the Department of Economic Development Tourism and Environmental Affairs (EDTEA) and the Hilton Hotel together with Project Enza once again pulled out all the stops when they hosted the 2^nd second annual school’s awareness programme. 

This event, which included tours to top tourism sites across the city of Durban over the past week, catered for 100 students and five educators from the Mthashana TVET College in Ulundi. The main objective was to help improve the standard of learners within the hospitality and tourism field.

This year’s KZN Tourism Awareness programme launched on Wednesday September 5^th in Ulundi at the Ulundi Garden Court hotel where TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training) colleges were invited to participate in a student’s enhancement and advocacy workshop.

The full day workshop included informative and educational discussions that covered everything from graduate development programmes and career opportunities in the hospitality and tourism sector to the hospitality industry and opportunities available at Hilton International â€" a partner of this particular programme. Business development, destination marketing and work readiness were also covered.

The second leg of this programme took place on September 6^th.and September 7^th. The N6 level students who had participated in the initial leg of programme in Ulundi then left the Zululand municipality for an educational tour of Durban where they experienced, firsthand, a visit to King Shaka Airport, KZN Sharks Board, the Inanda Heritage route and JL Dube House as well as a few fun-filled hours at uShaka Marine World where they received a tour of the aquarium.  

Tourism KZN helped create this programme to build a strong, integrated KZN destination brand, defend KZN’s domestic market share, grow international arrivals and develop KZN as a business tourism destination. 

Business development objectives also include ensuring that tourism operators within the province provide excellent customer service and care for visitors, encourage good citizenship as well as implement tourism safety and awareness initiatives. 

Spokesperson of Tourism KZN for the schools awareness program, Ms Mpume Sibiya said: “We believe strongly in raising awareness and exposing learners to the tourism industry, particularly those from disadvantaged groups. Our objective is to ensure the future of tourism and to see these young people think of themselves as potential entrepreneurs and job creators that can play an active role in this vital economic sector”. 

Thandekile Jessica Nhleko, Director of Project Enza and chief coordinator of this programme added: “Project ENZA is once again grateful for the opportunity to partner with TKZN on this programme, as an extension of the many different ways we strive to impact youth positively in Tourism through education and exposure. It’s been so motivating to have witnessed the enthusiasm of the students who attended. This particular project can only grow from strength to strength, equipping young people who are entering the world of hospitality and tourism with insights and skills. I look forward to similar programmes rolling out across the province.” 

All the students departed with a positive attitude and expressed gratitude for having been provided with such a unique opportunity.